byfield



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

v J B YF IE LD Peed Mechanism for Circular Knitting Machines.

Patented Aug. 24,1880.

1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSE n Qua/L,

MPETERS. FHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WAsmNGTON. D C

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. BYFIELD. Feed Mechanism for Circular KnittingMachines.

No. 231,476. Patented Aug. 24,1880.

INVENTOR vITNESSES [A/ I I N.PETERS, PNOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHlNGTON. D0- NITED STATES PATENT OFFIGEL,

JOHN BYFIELD, OF STRATFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,476, dated August24, 1880.

Application filed December 6, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JoHN BYF IELD, of thetown of Stratford, in the county of Perth and Province of Ontario,Dominion of Canada, manufacturer, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed Mechanism for Circular-Knitting Machines and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of an elevation of myimproved knittingmachine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Figs.3, 4, and 5 are detail views.

My invention relates to knitting-machines and it consists in theimprovements in, the construction of the same hereinafter fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

A indicates the cylinder of a circular-knitting machine, of the usual orany suitable construction, having needles a a, to which the yarns orthreads of different colors are fed through guides or carriers B B.

O designates a cam cylinder, which surrounds the needle-cylinder, andcarriesa standard, D, through which the carriers B B are arranged toslide.

The needle-cylinder is stationary upon a bed or table, E, while thecam-cylinder O rotates during the operation of knitting, thus carryinground the standard and yarn-carriers.

E designates a rotary bobbin-table, which carries the bobbins G G, and Hdesignates a rotary yarn -guiding roller-shaft, which is mounted insuitable bearings upon a standard,

1, arranged above and intermediate of the knitting mechanism and therotary bobbintable.

The yarns or threads pass from the bobbins to the carriers through holesformed in collars upon the shaft H, and in order to prevent the threadsfrom twisting together during the rotation of the carriers I providemeans for rotating the bobbin-table and the yarn-guiding shaft in unisonwith the carriers, as follows:

Below the table E, I arrange a shaft, K, provided with abeveled-gearwheel, L, at each one of its ends, one of the said wheels being arrangedto engage with a line of gear-teeth upon the underside of the rotarytable, and the remaining wheel to engage with a like line of teeth atthe base of the rotary cam-cylindei' which carries thesupporting-standard of the carriers.

Motion is likewise transmitted from the shaft K below the table to theshaft H upon the standard I by means of a crossed belt, M, the entiremechanism being actuated by a gear-wheel arranged upon a crank-shaft soas to interrnesh with the aforesaid line of teeth upon the rotarycam-cylinder O.

N designates a pattern-chain, which, like others of this class, iscomposed of links, some of which, according to any arbitraryarrangement, are cam-links N. This pattern-chain is hung upon asprocket-wheel, O, and its camlinks are arranged relatively to hingedrods Q, so that at stated periods during the operation of the machinerods Q will be acted upon by the cam-links for the purpose of raisingcams It It B into the plane of contact with the sliding carriers, so asto move the same into position for changing the feed from one color ofyarn to another.

The rods Q, which are hinged upon the main table at Q, pass over thepattern-chain and connect with rods which support the cams in suchmanner that one of the rods Q serves to raise but one of the cams B,while the remaining rod is employed for the purpose of raisingsimultaneously the remaining cams R B.

The sprocket-wheel is advanced at each revolution of the cam-cylinderwhich carries the yarnguides or carriers by means of a pivoted springfinger-bar, S, which is actuated by a cam-projection, D, upon thebobbin-table E. This finger-bar acts upon the teeth of a ratchetwheel,T, which is secured alongside of the sprocket-wheel, whereby motion isimparted to the latter for the purpose of advancing the pattern-chain,and hence bringing its camlinks successively against the rods Q.

The sliding carrier B is somewhat longer than the sliding carrier B, andboth are provided with rollers B which strike against the cams as theyare carried round by the rotary cam-cylinder.

The serial arrangement of the cams is such that spaces are left betweenthe central cam, R, and the two outer cams, R R

The pattern-chain being previously arranged 5 to produce any number ofstripes by the more or less frequent introduction into said chain ofcam-links, the machine is put in operation, and at each revolution ofthe bobbin-table the camprojection thereon strikes against and vibratesthe finger-bar,which strikes against the ratchet-wheel and therebyadvances the chain one link. So long as the plain links pass over thesprocket-wheel the rods Q will remain inact ive and no change offeeding-threads will be effected. \Vhen, however, a cam-link comes overthe wheel and directly under one of the said rods, the cam or camsconnected therewith will be raised so as to enter the plane of contactof the sliding carriers.

Supposing the two cams R R to be the ones raised, the roller ot' thelonger sliding carrier B will strike against the cam It and cause thiscarrier to be projected toward the center of the needle-cyliinler, whilethe roller of the shorter carrier 13, striking against the outer edgeand passing around such curved edge of the cam R will cause said shortercarrier to be shifted in a reverse direction. As the carriers are nowcarried round over the 0 needle-cylinder in such positions, the furtheradvancementofthe pattern-chain by the means above described will relievethe cam-pressure from the rod which has upheld the two cams, and hencethese will drop down, while another cam-link,eo1ning against the rodwhich raises the cam R,will cause the same to rise into the plane ofcontact of the sliding carriers. The

shorter carrier will now strike against the inner edge of the cam1t--that is to say, the edge which is nearest tothencedle-cylinderthereby causing the said carrier to be projectedtoward the center of the needle-cylinder, and the roller upon the longercarrier, coming against the outer edge of the same cam,will cause thelonger carrier to be retracted in areverse direction, thus effecting achange of feed.

Ifdesired, more than two bobbins may be carried upon the rotarybobbin-table,in which case the number of carriers, cams, and rods willbe increased in like proportion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a circular-knitting machine provided witha stationary needle-cylinder, revolving yarn-carriers, and mechanism foroperating the same, the combination of the cams R R R the hinged rods Q,and the pattern-chain N, provided with cam-links N, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

2. In a circular-knitting machine provided with a stationary.needle-cylinder, revolving yarncarriers, revolving bobbin table, andmechanism for operating the same, in combination with the cams R R R thehinged rods Q, the pattern'chain N, provided with camlinks N, thesprocket-wheel O, ratchet-wheel T, spring finger-bar S, and mechanismfor operating it, all constructed and operating substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. The rotary bobbin-table E, yarn-guiding roller-shaft H, rotarycam'cylinder 0, provided with the sliding yarn-carriers B B, incombination with the shaft K, having beveled-gear wheels L, thegear-teeth on the bobbin-table and cam-cylinder, and the belt M, fortransmitting motion from the shaft K to the rollershait H, allsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above 1 have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BYFIELI).

Witnesses:

U. M. I LAWRENCE, G. W. LAWRENCE.

